Shloka 1
Nṛga-upākhyāna: Brāhmaṇa-sva and the Consequence of Misappropriated Gift-Cattle (कृकलास-रूपे नृगोपाख्यानम्)
षट्षष्टितमो<5 ध्याय: जूता, शकट, तिल, भूमि, गौ और अन्नके दानका माहात्म्य युधिछिर उवाच दह्यमानाय विप्राय य: प्रयच्छत्युपानहौ । यत् फलं तस्य भवति तनमे ब्रूहि पितामह,युधिष्ठिरने पूछा--पितामह! गर्मीके दिनोंमें जिसके पैर जल रहे हों, ऐसे ब्राह्मणको जो जूते पहनाता है, उसको जो फल मिलता है, वह मुझे बताइये
Yudhiṣṭhira uvāca: dahyamānāya viprāya yaḥ prayacchaty upānahau | yat phalaṁ tasya bhavati tan me brūhi pitāmaha ||
Yudhiṣṭhira berkata: “Wahai datuk, katakanlah kepadaku apakah pahala yang diperoleh oleh seseorang yang menghadiahkan alas kaki kepada seorang brāhmaṇa yang tapak kakinya sedang terbakar (oleh panas).”
युधिछिर उवाच
Educational Q&A
That dharmic giving is evaluated by compassionate appropriateness: relieving immediate hardship (here, scorching heat and injured feet) through a practical gift like footwear is treated as a significant act of merit.
In the Anuśāsana Parva’s discourse on gifts and their fruits, Yudhiṣṭhira asks Bhīṣma to explain the spiritual/ethical result of providing sandals to a brāhmaṇa suffering from the heat.